NORWICH – As development of Marcellus shale natural gas grows in Pennsylvania and New York, business people statewide are being invited to a series of early morning seminars to learn how it may create opportunities for their businesses. As energy firms are leasing land and positioning themselves in New York in anticipation of extracting natural gas from Marcellus shale play, they are beginning to partner with or are purchasing from local businesses and entrepreneurs.

Commerce Chenango is hosting a ‘Your Business & Marcellus Shale: Voices of Experience” educational program at The Eaton Center, 19 Eaton Avenue, Norwich, to help entrepreneurs and established small- and medium sized businesses understand and respond to Marcellus shale-related business opportunities. The series will consist of four weekly early morning webinars, with sessions highlighting successful examples of how local businesses are responding, how to identify gas industry needs, and how to establish productive and ongoing relationships with natural gas companies.

The series is co-sponsored by a consortium of universities, chambers of commerce, local planning commissions and regional economic development boards from across New York State, with leadership from Penn State Cooperative Extension. Locally, the series is co-sponsored by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chenango County and Commerce Chenango.